Category Archives: Books

The Source: A Novel was first published in 1965 and is one of Michener’s finest novels.

The story begins in the 1970s at an archeological dig at the fictional Makor in the Galilee. Two areas are dug down to the bedrock. A story is told of the corresponding time in history of the artifacts found. Each chapter tells a story of the people and time of the artifacts. It follows one family line with a captivating story of people, artifacts, culture, political issues, and history. Between each historical tale is a running tale of the archaeological dig and the people working there. The research is amazing.

The story travels through many civilizations and portrays a history of the Jewish people. It is stunning in scope and the exploration of culture and history from about 10,000 BC to the mid-1960s is captivating. The scope is amazingly.

This book is long – very long as it travels through time revealing the history and people of the different societies. A gripping story of pagans, Hebrews, early Christianity, the Crusades, Romans, Muslims and modern archaeologist that is fascinating. A great summer read.

This is a story of a fledgling new nation that did not have much of a budget and saddled with war debt, that was challenged by four Muslim powers in Algiers, Tunis, Tripoli, and Morocco, The rulers had sustained their realms on the booty and ransom extracted from European and latter American merchant ships.

American merchant ships were swarmed by the Barbary pirates and the crew held captive, many remained captive for ten years under cruel conditions. Negotiation and ransom payments were tried, which the young country could not afford. The “Treaty of Peace and Friendship between the United States and Tripoli” was signed in 1796, an attempt to appease the enemy. It did not work. The alternative was a war to stand up to intimidation and lawlessness.

Before Jefferson assumed office Congress would authorize the forming of a U.S. Navy. Thomas Jefferson, our third president, decided to take on the Barbary powers in a war, something European powers chose not to do. A new nation took on Muslim despots and pirates with a mixture of diplomacy enforced by naval forces.

The book begins in1785 when the American merchant ship the Dauphin was intercepted off the coast of Portugal by an Algerian ship. The crew was captured and shipped to Algiers to spend years in slavery under the Ottomans.

Trek alongside William Eaton and an army of Marines, Navy midshipmen, Arabs, and Bedouins from Alexandria, across the Libyan Desert to Derne to Tripoli. The first Marine hero was Lieutenant Presley O’Bannon the ‘hero of Derne’. A well-known phrase in the opening lines of the Marines’ Hymn commemorates this time “the shores of Tripoli.”

Read about Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, the leadership of Edward Preble, Stephen Decatur and many more. Learn of the fighting prowess of Lieutenant Presley O’Bannon and other men. From the victory in the Barbary Wars would emerge U. S. forces, sea and land, that could fight as a unit in a war far from home against an enemy.

An action-packed easy to read history that captures the times, diplomacy and politics that led up to the Barbary Wars and the triumphant aftermath.

During Eisenhower’s presidency Gamal Abdel Nasser came to power in Egypt. Nasser dominated the Middle East during Eisenhower’s presidency. The gamble was to reduce Nasser’s influence or woo him as an ally against Moscow.

Doran meticulously researched and unravels the events that resulted in the 1956 Suez Crisis. He looks at Nasser’s increase in power as British power waned in the Middle East. Nasser’s devious deception of the Eisenhower Administration, especially Secretary of State John Foster Dulles, was to increase his power and remove the British and French from Egypt. The policy decisions made during the Suez crisis has reverberated for decades in American foreign policy. The book covers the years from 1951 to 1961. A well written and researched book with in-depth analysis that is a readable page turner.

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Black Rednecks and White Liberals by Dr. Thomas Sowell is a compelling book that will draw you in. It consists of captivating six essays. The first essay should be required reading in high schools and colleges. Sowell does his research, the roots of “redneck culture” originating from the borderlands of Scotland to America was fascinating.

The book contains hard hitting looks at race, class, and history. The impact different ways of thinking have on different groups of people, the universal hatred of middle men minorities (Jews, ), a history of Germany and the impact of Nazism and attitudes toward the German people, a history of slavery from the brutality of the white slave of Barbary to the sex slavery primarily under Islam, black education, and history and causation. An excellent book with Sowell’s research and deep reasoning opens one to a new perspective on the history, cultural differences, long-prevailing assumptions about blacks, about Jews, about Germans, about slavery, and about education, also what factors contribute to prosperity or poverty. An insightful book and must read.

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Following The Third Target and The First Hostage, Joel Rosenberg returns with correspondent J.B. Collins telling the president he is wrong in stating ISIS is “on the run” and “winning”, he fears an attack inside the U.S. is imminent. Without Warning picks shortly after The First Hostage.

An intense and gripping story with J. B. Collins
gravely concerned with America and ISIS, he decides to take action himself vowing to go after the terror group leader Abu Kahlif. Rosenberg builds suspense as Collins gets in over his head and things get worse. A page turner!

Without Warning: A J.B. Collins Novel by Joel Rosenberg is available at Amazon.

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Psychologist Paul Bloom makes the reasonable argument about the effects of empathy – trying to feel what other people feel, and its negative effects that often results in making the world worse. Bloom defines terms and lays out a substantive case that empathy is not a vital catalyst for human morality. That concern and compassion are better, particularly when making moral choices and public policy.

Bloom critiques the features of empathy. One is the spotlight effect that narrows a person’s focus often at the expense of others. That one does not see all the ramifications of a decision with a narrow focus.

Empathy is a short-term solution, he argues that rational compassion takes a broader view and favors the long-term solution. Compassion is defined by Bloom as “simply caring for people, wanting them to thrive,” a kindness that is separate from empathy. Compassion is not perfect but has fewer problems than empathy. He argues connivingly that compassion is a better guide to our everyday moral decisions. Bloom looks at empathy in diverse situations from intimate relations, violence, war… Against Empathy is thought provoking.

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U.S. Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch wrote a book that provides a thorough overview of the legal and moral arguments surrounding assisted suicide and euthanasia, as well as a comprehensive argument against their legalization.

Gorsuch’s book surveys a large body of case law, histories from the Netherlands and Oregon, medical ethicists, and medical evidence which shows the major motivation behind physician-assisted suicide is clinical depression, not unbearable pain. His lucid style makes it easy to understand and even interesting for non-lawyers.

The strengths and weaknesses of arguments for assisted suicide and euthanasia are assessed. An argument that goes against and completely rejects the traditions of Western Civilization. Gorsuch then builds a powerful moral and legal argument against legalization for assisted suicide and euthanasia. He builds a moral and legal base on the principle stated in the first chapter “that all human beings are intrinsically valuable and the intentional taking of life by private persons is always wrong.”

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Jonah Goldberg sets out to dismantle the assumption that fascism is an offshoot of the right. Looking at the ideological roots of fascism, American progressives and today’s liberals are the inheritors of ideas that began in the fascist movement. The roots of progressives that became today’s liberals are found in fascism. Goldberg’s well researched and historical examination traces the roots of fascism from the 18th century to today’s liberals in America.

Video: Jonah Goldberg – Liberal Fascism – Animated Book Summary

Liberal Fascism: The Secret History of the American Left, From Mussolini to the Politics of Meaning by Jonah Goldberg is available at Amazon.

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In Finding Truth Pearcey presents five principles Christian can use to critique and evaluate secular worldviews and recognizing their inadequacies compared with Christianity. She derives these five principles from Romans 1 which she calls, “Paul’s apologetics training manual.”

First, she shows how these five principles relate to Romans 1. Each chapter explores a principle with concrete examples that is easy to understand. In each chapter, she makes the case for Christianity. There are some interesting quotes from scholars. What is gained are principles that are broadly applicable rather than specific arguments against all the different worldviews. “The goal,” she writes, “is to master the skills that will enable you to cut to the heart of any set of ideas.”

An excellent book that will help you discern the flaws of different worldviews heard today.

Finding Truth: 5 Principles for Unmasking Atheism, Secularism, and Other God Substitutes by Nancy Pearcey is available at Amazon.

Dershowitz does an outstanding job making the case that Israel has a right to exist. It also puts the Israel-Palestinian conflict into perspective. The chapters are laid out with arguments made against Israel, the reality, followed by proof that refutes the arguments. A great resource that is concise, clear, logical and uses historical facts.

Description: ‘Israel Indivisible’ examines the many political twists and turns that make Israel the world’s most controversial nation. From Abram and the Promise, to the fall of the Ottoman Empire the film examines the historical, archaeological, legal and Biblical evidence for the ancient and modern state of Israel. At the center of all this history is a group of people who are agreeably the worlds most persecuted. The story of the many is tied together in the story of the one and that one is Israel. Join as we take you on a historical journey to uncover the truth surrounding the controversial issue that is rooted in God’s eternal Covenant with Israel.

Video: ‘Indivisible’ Film Tackles Crusade to Destroy Israel

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An interesting and disturbing book written by Eldad Beck, a journalist from Israel, about Germany. Eldad Beck was born in Haifa, which at that time had a large number of German-speaking Jews. and he arrived in Germany with a positive outlook on Germans. This book throws a light on the country’s stability, democratic image, its past its present attitudes.

With a precision of facts is shown influences that are shaping the country. The book touches on the relationship between Germany and Israel. A fractured government. The rise of Neo-Nazi’s with an increase in power and rank in the German government. Islamics in the country and their influence on the government.

The book touches on the evil, and the darker side of the German past and explores the attitudes that allowed those events to occur. It explores today’s Germany, how much is has confronted and transformed from its past. The book shows Germany is good at ignoring and hiding events to protect how it is perceived by those outside and within the country.

This book was eye-opening and a lot of the times shocking. A must read.

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Lieutenant General (ret.) Michael T. Flynn was asked by President-elect Donald Trump to be his National Security Adviser. A timely book to read!

If you want to learn more about the terrorist attacks sweeping the world, terrorist groups, countries supporting terrorist, and how to win there is no better place to start than The Field of Fight: How We Can Win the Global War Against Radical Islam and Its Allies by Lieutenant General (ret.) Michael T. Flynn and historian Michael Ledeen.

Lt. General Flynn has over 33 years of service in our nation’s military, much of the time at the tops levels of U.S. military intelligence, culminating as the Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) and as the nation’s highest serving military intelligence officer.

The book breaks down into 4 major parts:

The making of an intel officer

Warfighting

The nemy alliance

How to win

Lt. General Michael Flynn wrote the book to show the war being waged against us and to lay out a winning strategy. A fascinating read as he details the successes and failures, the misguided assumptions coupled with the political that hindered adaption to the terror threat. His assessment and a strategic formula for how to proceed in the future makes this book a must read. The book focuses on modern military strategy and gives a military intelligence perspective.